


Tales of Wisteria

by HeavensDeity



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, F/M, Home, View, charity - Freeform, ffxiv - Freeform, prompts, writing challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-16 20:10:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21277007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavensDeity/pseuds/HeavensDeity
Summary: A collection of short stories from FFXIV for National Novel Writing Month with my own prompts.





	1. Chapter 1

Wisteria Oakfall stood in the ankle deep snow, not even feeling the cold seeping into her metal battlements. Her armor clanked as she grasped her weapon and shifted, breathing in against the cold air, letting out a stream of hot and humid breath that shown and vanished into the cold surroundings. She took her weapon with her hand and took a step further onto the familiar stone gate, separating central Coerthas from Ishgard.

The Warrior of Light could not explain how good it felt to be home…. That was a strange word. Home. Wisteria waved a hello to the Gate Keep as he gave her a stiff salute and yoinked on the lever to pull open the massive metal gate. While waiting, the woman gazed out at the stone bridge. Surprised at how fast they’d rebuilt it after all the damage that at her lovely self and that damable wyrm had caused it. The gate finally finished rising and Wisteria went through, stepping down, back into the cold air and walked towards Ishgard.

For people that lived in Ishgard, it was hard to imagine that the Warrior was still living among them. She joined them for events, having random conversations with neighbors in the streets… that and to have the Ishgardian Leaders intended wandering around the stone city. Acting like there was no difference between those that lived in the Brume and those that lived in the Pillars. For Wisteria? There was no difference. These were people she’d saved, people she’d almost lost her own life countless times defending from wyrms, from Thordan, and she was happy to do it all over if that's what it took. She got questions, asking her why after all the time that Ishgard stood apart from the Alliance, how cruel they were to those seeking help, mind you Wisteria threw back Ul’dahs cruelty to refugees right back into their faces. 

Wisteria was greeted by the usual mumble of hellos from the tower guards and those standing watch at the entrance to the city. Using her poor lance as a makeshift walking stick she waved a mild hello back to them and went about her walking. Traversing up the steps towards the Forgotten Knight and the Congregation of Our Knights Most Heavenly where she knew her beloved would be, Wisteria couldn’t help but stop for a moment and reminisce about when herself, Alpinaud and Tataru had wandered in after the disaster in Ul’dah with the Crystal Braves. Lost and without reason, Wisteria herself couldn’t help but feel betrayed. She had risked everything for those in Eorzea, again, her life, countless times, almost been burned alive, trampled alive, blown to dust, frozen… you name it probably happened to her. But they quickly turned on her with a misunderstanding with the Sultana…. Mephina bless her heart though, that lalafell had more resilient than a popoto. That’s why they had seemed to fit in so well with Ishgard. While they were wary of outsides, and the rich snooty beyond belief. Not exactly Wisteria’s type of people.

Having grown up in the not so nice part of her own home country, Wisteria prefered those who knew what it was like not to have much… even though herself had more than she could ever want. She would stray from the Foretemps, bless there souls for keeping her and the two remaining Scions safe, Wisteria would never be able to repay the kindness that the Count had shown her. Even as one of his sons had given his life for her. Haruchefant. Wisteria still couldn’t think of the late Elezen without shedding a few tears. As she was doing now, she wiped at her face while she stopped by the memorial that had been placed in square, replacing the tattered fountain that claimed this corner. Haruchefant forever in stone looking after the city that they both loved so dearly. She shot the statue a watery smile before turning away and stepped past, her weapon clanking against the ground.

The midlander pushed open the doors to the Congregation, several of the Temple Knights that were sitting around her intendeds planning table… it had some other name but out of playful spite for her fiance, she refused to learn it. Lucia was among the knights that were gathered around the table, she stood up and came over to the midlander at a rampant pace and threw her arms around Wisteria in an uncharacteristic fashion. The Midlander blanched for a moment before relaxing, and with one hand still clutching her weapon, wrapped her free arm around the taller women middle. “Nice to see you too Lucia, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you missed me.” Wisteria teased.

At this, Lucia scoffed and pulled back. “Am I not allowed to show my happiness through gestures to a friend?”

Wisteria laughed, stepping away from her and resettled her lance against the clasps in her armor that held it fast. “I didn’t know you considered us friends, pray color me surprised!” She retorted to the other woman who scoffed yet again and rolled her eyes. “Wheres Aymeric by the way?”

“Lord De Borel is in his chambers, meeting with several of the High Houses.” One of the Temple knights pipped up from the table, Beltadoris, if Wisteria’s memory was serving her correctly. 

The dragoon heaved a sigh and let her shoulders slump. “Of course my surprise return home would have to be while he is meeting with his fancy prancy people.” A quiet chortle breaking out from the table in front of her. “I’m going back to the house… don’t tell him I’m back.” Wisteria grinned before turning around and walking out of the circular stone building that housed most of the knights. 

In record time, Wisteria made it back to the house that she shared with Aymeric, technically she just crashed there about 90% of the time, despite having a room back at the Fortemps manor. Wisteria was reclined in the Ishgardian silk robe that was given to her by Aymeric as an engagement gift, and on these cold nights, it's what she loved the most. She sat in the window bay overlooking the city from there room, her hair resting against the wood of the window, watching as the city lit up, a beacon in the cold winter nights. Closing her eyes, the woman let memories play from her time in this city, saving it time and time again, fighting to set it free, saying goodbye to two of the bravest people she’d ever met, one of them much like herself. Saving Estinien and Alphinauds tears of joy… that boy hardly ever cried. Helping settle common street fights with her presence alone, caring for those in the Brume, shielding them from the barrage of attacks… and destroying that damn bridge, to protect this city from Nidhogg, seemed he never wanted to stay dead. If Wisteria had her way, she would make sure that he did.

A door being pushed open brought Wisteria from her revelry as she cast over to see her stunned looking fiancee, gaping at her from the doorway. “W-wisteria-” He gaped at her. Wisteria only looked at him, and gave him one of her rare smiles.

“I’m home.”


	2. Prompt 2 Views

The midlander sat on the back of the two seater bird, looking rather pointedly at her fiance with her legs crossed. “You know, Aymeric. When you asked me to come on a sightseeing tour on the territories surrounding Ishgard, I thought you meant on a date… not with half of your Temple Knights and visiting Leaders from the Alliances.” 

Aymeric gave her a shrug from his driving in front of her as the bird leapt and pounced over ledges to keep up with the group. “To be fair my dearest, I did say that others might accompany us.” Aymeric countered.

Wisteria shot him daggers into his broad back. “I thought you were referring to maybe a few Temple Knights like Lucia to keep an eye on us or something…” She trailed off, staring off into the snow dusted plains of Western Coerthas, it was one of those beautifully clear rare days where the sun was high in the sky and reflected against the snow making it look like tiny diamonds dancing in the light. That was one of the many sights that Wisteria loved about this side of the Coerthas. When it wasn’t cloudy and snowing of course, which was rare. Wisteria grew up in a dry and arid place in the middle of Hydaelyn that no one really remember, she herself had actually forgotten much of it. That tended to happen with her line of work, get smacked in the head a few thousand times and you’re bound to forget a few things.

They were rounding a corner that lead into the Sea of Clouds, after much of a rocky terrain shift that caused the mountain walls and floors to drop so low into the earth that they lost sight of them. Wisteria ironically had a fear of being up so high, so it was no surprise to Aymeric when he felt his intended shift and go to wrap her arms around his middle when she had originally be practically hanging off the bird looking bored. “You really think that they would insult you like that? Sending people to protect you.”

Wisteria, despite her slightly anxious state scoffed at him. “That wouldn’t insult me! Even I need to be protected sometimes!” 

That earned her a laugh, and she couldn’t help but smile at feeling the deep rumble coming from within his chest. “Of course you do Lady Oakfall.”

The rocky outcropping thats jutted up sometimes were slowing vanishing now as they banked a sharp corner and the floating islands were appearing, she could see the Vanu Vanu aetheryte in the distance, that giant floating monstrosity. The Sea of Clouds, despite causing her fear was another one of her favorite landscapes to have an aerial view of when flying through. The sheer cliffs and the floating mounds of earth where certainly a sight to behold. Along with the group of humanoid bird beings that lived here. Also that giant accursed.. Whale? She didn’t even know what to call Bismarck, so she’d described him as a giant bird whale for lack of correct terms. Then again, she never did describe primals the very best. Ifrit many thought was now a giant puppy like creature that breathed fire. Titan was a very large man wearing a skirt with a pony tail. Shiva, a giant ice breathing bitch. Susano was… a rock? She didn’t know what Susano was only that he really.. REALLY liked fighting. She had spent the last week trying to find the words to explain to Aymeric what Hades was when she fought him. Right now, Aymeric was thinking he looked like a boomerang with a lot of faces. Where Wisteria excelled in any martial prowess she decided on… she failed in words at least when it came to describing scenes. 

Someone had once asked her to describe what the vast plane of the Azim Steppe looked like, and to her credit, she did a decent job. Describing that giant space that she’d seen, Reunion, the Dawn Throne, Dusk Throne and the desert that jutted out for miles where the Dotharl lived. Speaking of the Dotharl, Wisteria made a mental note to herself to go back and challenge Sadu to a fight soon. Wisteria loved fighting the Xaelas, even more so Sadu. It seemed like they were the one group of people, aside from her own scions, that she could let loose against and go on fighting for hours if they weren’t stopped. If she had to pick to be any other race than her own Midlander self, she’d definitely want to be a Xaela, they were great fun. “I need to go see Sadu at some point.” She mused out loud as they flew over the floating rocks. 

“The Dotharl leader?” Aymeric asked, banking again a little to sharply causing the Warrior of Light to tighten her arms around him by the slightest amount. They were heading for the Hinterlands, that was another area, if not the one area that Wisteria loved the most. Other than the giant clunky machine in the center of the lake. Aymeric had given up on her trying to get her to describe it and just made her take him out to the Hinterlands to see it. 

“Aye, me I think she would love to hear about the First and I’ll bet she would wish she could see the Sin Eaters, only to smash them into oblivion.” She chortled, but at the same time, shuddered at the memory of having that much corrupted light sitting in her body, it had been a relief when she set it free onto that damnable Ascian.

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as they banked the last bend of the Sea of Clouds, and picked up speed, leaving the floating visage vanish back into the fog that always seemed to envelope it and before long, it was gone.

They traveled through the ever beautifully covered trees of the Forelands, Wisteria detached herself from her fiance and went back to her previous position of legs thrown carelessly back over the chocobo’s abnormally large back. She stared downwards as the multicolored foliage slowly started to form into the gorgeous green lusciousness of the Hinterland and soon the Allagan ruins. “Mmm!” She breathed in the air as it passed them. “We’re going to move out here!” She declared it to her lover.

“Out here?” Aymeric blanched in front of her, he’d been in conversation with Lyse the last few minutes talking about possible trade relations with Gyr Abania. 

“Of course! Think about it, we could fix up one of the houses, make it livable, and then just keep the monsters away!”

“I’m… not sure that would work. I don’t believe the High Houses would be alright with me moving so far from-” He was interrupted by a loud sigh.

“I was teasing Aymeric, the view is gorgeous but it's a little too dangerous, even for me.” She chided him, and he was about to respond when her linkpearl started ringing, throwing up a hand to silence him, she listened to the panicked voice to Tataru appear on the other end. 

“Oh oh oh- Wisteria! We need you! The Amalj'aa are trying to summon Ifrit again!” She cried.

Wisteria sighed and told her that she’d be on the next teleport to the Forgotten Springs and have it taken care of in a matter of moments, she turned to Aymeric and spoke up. “Flame puppy wants to play again. I’ll see you tonight.” And without giving him the chance to respond, Wisteria gave a shrill whistle, and the sound of flapping wings came from above. She steadily stood up on the chocobo’s back, and balancing herself, vaulted backwards, trusting her mount to be below her when she landed. 

It was, but that never changed the fact, to see the Warrior of Light in action, was always quite the view.


	3. Prompt 3 Charity

“Does the Warrior ever stop? I do believe I have never seen her just sit for more than an hour at a time.” A whisper echoed down the long stoney corridor. Outside the weather was, what a surprise, still snowing. Though one really couldn’t be surprised, it was Corethas, it was either snowing, foggy or cloudy. Only on rare days would you ever be lucky enough to have a beautiful and clear day where the chill was alleviated just the bit, and the snow would turn into slosh.

“I don’t think she ever does. There are rumors she doesn’t even sleep, I once heard that she took down seven primals in a day.” Another voice said being carried out as a whisper on the wind as Wisteria was down the hall, leaning against the wall, snorting at almost every word these housemaids were chatting on about. Of course she slept! Just… not as much as she should be. 

Wisteria kicked off the wall, grasping her helmet as she strode down towards the two ladies and flashed them a smile. “I do rest, I just prefer to do it when the world isn’t in peril.” She grinned at them, as their faces bloomed a deep red and they scuttled off to work. Leaving Wisteria to her own laugh as she reached up and dropped her helmet down onto her head, buckling the thing into place.

“Going out again?” A deep and familiar voice caught Wisteria as she was about to pull open the door. She glanced back to see her fiance. “You know, for someone supposedly on vacation, you aren’t doing much… vacationing.” He motioned with his hand as he flipped a page in the tome he’d been holding.

“I’m not doing too much!” Wisteria protested. “I just promised Zhloe that I would help with the orphans, then I’m going to the Forelands to help the Gnath with an infestation problem, then heading to Limsa to help the Maelstrom with training, moving onto Mor Dhona to help Tataru with something. Then I’ll be home before we have to go to dinner with your High House friends.” She batted her eyes at him. “To be fair it's quite an easy time- compared to what I normally do.” 

“Yes, because that sounds like an incredibly easy day… pray do not push yourself Wisteria.” Aymeric said with that usual seriousness in his voice. 

Wisteria waved him off, and slid the visor to her helmet up and stepped over to him. Stepping up on her tiptoes, damn her for being so short, she just managed to kiss him, of course with his assistance as he leaned down to meet her halfway. “I’ll be careful, I promise.” She spoke earnestly, as she stepped back from in front of him and went back towards the door, slipping her visor back down. “I’ll see you tonight.” She spoke before she vanished through the door, letting it swing shut behind her.

The thing was about Wisteria, is that she may have had a small addiction to being charitable, or some may call it just her good inane nature, saving people, donating her time, gathering items, bringing them money, finding them work. Acting as an ambassador between the decent Beastmen and the Alliance. Everyone wanted her help, and everyone wanted her attention. She could hardly go anywhere anymore without someone getting all giddy and running up to her, or thanking her for something… that she didn’t quite remember. She felt guilty sometimes, but countless times people would remind her that she couldn’t remember every little thing she did, because if she did, she would be even more sought after than she already was.

Sometimes though, her kind nature could be her downfall, Wisteria would do the smallest task if it would help, or make someone's day. She’d gotten better at it, but sometimes their were bad eggs that would abuse her offering to help and contribute and before she knew it, she’d done all their chores. She used to find herself in those situations quite a few times, even more so when she was helping those strangers from Ivalice. She had a fear of pink chocobo’s now and that wine gave her PTSD from her early years in this line of work. All the pointless running around, proving herself. If she was being honest, she’d proved herself, time and time again. And she made darn well that Company of Light knew it. Whenever she ran past them, there was nothing but nods of acknowledgement. 

Wisteria shook her head though, as if to clear the thoughts away from her. She hated thinking so negatively, but it was so easy to do. She headed down the steps and down from the De Borel manor home and towards the airships. She would be saving her efforts of teleporting to get between the Forelands to Limsa, it took a lot out of her to travel so far. She smiled and waved to the people that stopped and gave her a nod of the head, or just were watching her out of pure curiosity to the woman that had saved them and then managed to catch the heart of the Leader of Ishgard. 

Wisteria reached the airships, tossed a few coins at the airship Keep who knew her rather well at this point, and she was free to come and go as she pleases, but she enjoyed seeing his face light up everytime she did so. Her charity, was the one thing that no one could explain, not even Wisteria herself could explain it. She enjoyed seeing people light up like a Starlight tree when she offered help, or how the end result could satisfy even the most angry of people. Wisteria hummed out softly as she boarded the airship and waved off to the pilot, shouting Idyllshire at him as the wind picked up from his undocking. 

After sometime, Idyllshire finally came into view and Wisteria couldn’t help but smile. She spotted Zhloe, Khloe and the other several children who started cheering happily when they saw her. This is why she helped, Wisteria thought for a moment, to make the lives a little happier and cheerier to the people who crossed her path. It wasn’t charity, but just the pure joy of her own heart.


End file.
